The 2026-27 Colonial States College Hockey Conference (CSCHC) season is officially underway, and the opening weeks have already delivered plenty of excitement, competitive matchups, and early indications of what promises to be another exciting race for the Colonial Cup.
With a new conference alignment, the addition of Lehigh University, and several teams looking to challenge defending champion West Chester University, the Colonial has wasted little time getting down to business.
As the calendar turns to November, West Chester has established itself as the early team to beat, but Scranton, Millersville, Neumann, and Stockton have all shown that there is plenty of competition throughout the conference.
West Chester Gets Off to a Strong Start
The defending CSCHC champions have picked up right where they left off last season. West Chester currently sits atop the conference standings with an impressive 4-0-1 league record and nine points through its first five conference games.
The Golden Rams opened league play with a convincing 5-0 victory over new conference member Lehigh before putting together back-to-back offensive performances against Penn and Stockton, winning 8-0 and 11-1, respectively.
West Chester also picked up a 5-4 victory over Millersville in a closely contested matchup, demonstrating its ability to win in tight games against quality conference opponents.
Their only blemish thus far came against Scranton, which handed the Golden Rams their first league setback of the season with a 5-4 overtime victory. Despite the loss, West Chester remains firmly in control of the early conference race and has continued to demonstrate why it entered the season as the defending champion.
Scranton Makes an Early Statement
Scranton has also made an impressive early-season statement and currently occupies second place in the conference standings with a perfect 3-0 record and six points.
The Royals opened their conference schedule with a 7-5 victory over Penn before following that performance with a 5-2 win over Neumann.
Scranton then delivered one of the biggest results of the young season, defeating defending champion West Chester 5-4 in overtime on October 24. The victory showed that the Royals have the ability to compete with the very best in the conference and could be a major factor in the race for the regular-season title.
With several important conference matchups still ahead, Scranton has positioned itself as an early contender.
Millersville and Neumann Remain in the Mix
Millersville has experienced a strong start to its conference schedule, picking up a convincing 12-3 victory over Lehigh before dropping a narrow 5-4 decision to West Chester.
The Marauders currently sit third in the standings with three points and have an opportunity to make up ground as their conference schedule continues.
Neumann has also shown its potential, earning a 6-0 victory over Penn on October 30. The Knights currently hold a 1-1 conference record and will be looking to build momentum as they enter a busy stretch of league games in November.
Both programs have established themselves as teams capable of making noise in the conference, and their upcoming matchups will be important in determining how the standings take shape.
Stockton and Penn Looking to Build Momentum
Stockton has already demonstrated that it can compete in close games, highlighted by a 4-3 overtime victory against Millersville on October 23.
The Ospreys currently sit alongside Neumann and Penn with two conference points, having split their first two league decisions.
Penn has faced a challenging opening stretch, but the Quakers picked up an important 5-3 victory over Lehigh and have continued to gain valuable conference experience.
Both teams will be looking to put together consistent stretches of play as the conference schedule moves forward.
Lehigh Faces an Early Challenge in Its First CSCHC Season
The newest full member of the Colonial States Conference, Lehigh, has experienced a challenging introduction to league play.
The Mountain Hawks are currently 0-4 in conference competition, with losses to West Chester, Millersville, Penn, and Stockton.
Despite the early results, Lehigh’s addition provides another competitive program to the conference and adds an exciting new matchup to the CSCHC schedule. With plenty of hockey remaining, the Mountain Hawks will look to turn things around as they continue their inaugural season in the Colonial.
November Brings a Critical Stretch of Conference Hockey
With the first month of conference play in the books, November is shaping up to be an important stretch for nearly every team in the league.
The upcoming schedule features several matchups that could have significant implications for the conference standings, including:
- November 6: Lehigh vs. Scranton
- November 6: Neumann vs. Millersville
- November 7: Millersville vs. Scranton
- November 7: West Chester vs. Penn
- November 7: Neumann vs. Stockton
- November 13: Scranton vs. Millersville
- November 14: Scranton vs. Stockton
- November 14: Lehigh vs. Neumann
These matchups will provide an opportunity for teams to gain valuable points, establish momentum, and potentially shake up the early conference standings.
The Race for the Colonial Cup Is On
Although West Chester has established itself as the early frontrunner, the opening weeks have demonstrated that there is plenty of hockey left to be played and no shortage of teams capable of challenging for the top spot.
Scranton has already proven it can knock off the defending champions, Millersville continues to be a competitive presence, and Neumann and Stockton are looking to make their mark.
With the conference schedule continuing through February and the Colonial Cup playoffs on the horizon, every league point will become increasingly important.
One thing is certain: the race for the Colonial Cup is officially underway, and the competition throughout the Colonial States College Hockey Conference is just getting started.
Stay tuned to CSCHCHockey.com for updated standings, schedules, scores, and the latest news from around the Colonial.